Real morticians of O.C. treat departed dearly

Embalmer Nicki Hobbs, from left, apprentice embalmer Adriana Wells, preparation room co-ordinator Staci Collier, apprentice embalmer Jane Main and embalmer Jenna Hill are the five women behind the scenes at Fairhaven Mortuary in Santa Ana who are responsible for the embalming. All five women have unique reasons for choosing their careers and see their unconventional jobs as a way to make a difference. ANA VENEGAS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

1 of 7

Adriana Wells of Chino Hills is an apprentice at Fairhaven Mortuary in Santa Ana. ANA VENEGAS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

1 of 7

Jenna Hill of Santa Ana is a licensed embalmer at Fairhaven Mortuary in Santa Ana. ANA VENEGAS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

1 of 7

Jane Main of Lakewood is an apprentice at Fairhaven Mortuary in Santa Ana. ANA VENEGAS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

1 of 7

Staci Collier of El Monte is the preparation room co-ordinator and a licensed embalmer at Fairhaven Mortuary in Santa Ana. ANA VENEGAS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

1 of 7

Nicki Hobbs of Santa Ana is a licensed embalmer at Fairhaven Mortuary in Santa Ana. ANA VENEGAS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Meet the five women who embalm and prepare decedents for viewings at Fairhaven Memorial Park and Mortuary in Santa Ana.

Females have been preparing bodies for burial since ancient Greece. But in our culture, in our era, the mortuary industry until very recently has been dominated by men. It's coincidence, and perhaps a sign of change, that the three morticians and two apprentice morticians at Fairhaven are women.

Morbid, creepy, unpleasant – the morticians say none of these words apply to their profession. Instead, they say, their physically demanding work is a blend of science and art.

That said, the job does mean spending time with dozens of decedents (the preferred word for "dead people") all day, many stored in a refrigerated area. A certain mindset is required.

"Most people know early on if they can handle this work," says Jenna Hill, a raven-haired resident of Santa Ana.

But beyond the details of the job itself, the Fairhaven morticians – to a woman – insist they like their work because it involves helping people with a crucial service in a moment of great need.

Collier was 8 when her father died, and she can't remember wanting to be anything other than a mortician.

"I've always known I wanted to make dead people look better," says Collier, a mortician for 10 years who embalmed her own mother, who died of cancer at age 59.

Embalming involves draining the body of most blood and other fluids and replacing them with chemicals that dramatically slow the rate of tissue decomposition. The process typically takes up to two hours.

To facilitate the draining of fluids, and to break up the capillaries so that the chemicals are distributed more efficiently through the body, morticians vigorously massage each decedent, working their way up from the feet.

"You get the best massage of your life after you die," Collier says. After being embalmed, decedents are "dressed." This refers to the application of cosmetics to face and hands, as well as hair styling, and final placement in the casket.

"You have to have heart in this business," she says. Asked how her job has influenced her thoughts about dying, Collier jokes: "I refuse to die."

Hobbs has been a mortician for 16 years. Her previous career was dog trainer.

Among the five morticians, she is considered the expert embalmer because she's been doing it the longest. "We want to provide the best service we can for families during the last moments they have with loved ones," Hobbs says. Families have shown their appreciation to Hobbs and her colleagues through phone calls, letters and gifts. Hobbs once received a quilt from a parent of a baby who died at 7 months."Sometimes, in this job, you run through a gamut of emotions."

JENNA HILL, 27, LICENSED EMBALMER

Hill's grandmother died when Hill was 18, and the experience of her grandmother's funeral, she says, launched her career. Hill was impressed with how the mortician and funeral home employees treated her family – and at how well her grandmother looked.

"I would be honored to know if I lost a family member that they would be taken care of by people like us – caring, respectful and professional, and people who treat each decedent as if they were their own family member," says Hill, who grew up in Tulare and now lives in Santa Ana. Murderers, gang members, embezzlers – sometimes the decedents the morticians work on haven't lived exemplary lives. Doesn't matter, Hill says. "Each person, regardless of how they lived, has a family," Hill says. "We can't be judgmental."

A U.K. company called Dodge makes the thick cosmetics typically used on the deceased. But Hill says a more familiar brand also works wonders.

"Mary Kay," she says, "is the best!"

JANE MAIN, 29, APPRENTICE

Originally interested in psychology, Main, of Lakewood, says the field of mortuary sciences "appealed to my aesthetic." She also enjoys the hands-on nature of the work.

Main grew up in a family steeped in medicine. Her father is a cardiologist, her mother is a nurse and her grandmother is a dental assistant.

"I also was sick a lot as a kid," she says. Allergies wiped out Main's sense of smell when she was 8 – something that comes in handy in a profession filled with powerful odors. Main started as an apprentice in April. Previously, she'd worked as a service director at Fairhaven, helping families in a time of crisis.

"I like helping people," she says. "I will extend a hand out to anyone when they need it."

ADRIANA WELLS, 30, APPRENTICE

Like Main, Wells must complete a two-year apprenticeship before becoming a licensed embalmer. A two-year associate degree in mortuary sciences also is required. She's a year through her apprenticeship. Wells, who lives in Chino Hills and has an 11-year-old son, lost a cousin in 2006, sparking her interest in doing her best to treat the deceased with dignity.

"Her death reaffirmed what I thought about doing ever since I was in high school," Wells says. Being a mortician, she says, has made her more conscious about taking care of herself.

Inspired in part by working on obese decedents who did not take good care of themselves, Wells has lost 66 pounds in the past 12 months.

"This job has made me realize how frail we are as humans and how important it is to take care of ourselves and basically live every day to its fullest," Wells says. "We never know when our time will be up."

User Agreement

Keep it civil and stay on topic. No profanity, vulgarity, racial
slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about
tragedies will be blocked. By posting your comment, you agree to
allow Orange County Register Communications, Inc. the right to
republish your name and comment in additional Register publications
without any notification or payment.